Second Bike

[nielsm]

I love my R1200R, but I'm interested in getting more into dual sport/dirt riding. I'm thinking of adding another bike to the stable & wanted to get some impact on people's thoughts of complements to the R1200R. I live in NYC, so I don't have a truck to cart a bike to a riding site. Thus any choice has to be viable for travel to the trails & back, so no pure dirt bike.

A few contenders:

BMW - I've had 2 GSs in the past, a 650 & 1100. Great bikes, but never took them off road. But wow did the 1100 eat NYC potholes!

R1200GSA - Huge tank, go anywhere attitude. Weighs a lot, maybe not that great in tight dirt. Same engine as mine, so perhaps not that different
F800GS - Lighter, more nimble. Different motor. Not as comfortable as the GS on long hauls, but better in the tight dirt.

KTM - Known for the dirt, but higher maintenance. Mostly race bikes, rather than road bikes.
KTM 690E - Much better in the dirt. Higher maintenance schedule, not as comfortable for long rides
KTM 990 - Better for long rides than the 690, but not quite as comfy as the BMWs

Something else?

What are everyone's stablemates to the R1200R? Anyone also looking at dual sport, or what other options to consider?

[TAG-Caver]

I like my DR650 for dual sporting. Ton of fun, reliable, easy to work on, and lots of aftermarket stuff.

BMW owns Husqvarna, they have an interesting bike in the TE630, but it sounds like they'll be offering a new model using the BMW 650 motor. Below is a link to the TE630, it's a nice looking bike.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/135/6586/ ... -Ride.aspx

[Ric]

IMO.....

Get a truck and a KLX or some other super light dual sport.
OR....just get the F800GS. I think they're very comfortable on a long haul.

I have an R1200R and a KLX250 bored to 351.....oh and, a truck to haul with.

[azimuth551]

This is timing here.....I cherish 2008 R1200R and plan on keeping it thru thick and thin. It does not handle worth a damn off road in the rough stuff with street tires. Being here in Northern Nevada we have dirt roads run amuck and I wanted the best of both worlds, just different bikes. I picked up a 2004 DRZ400S and its awesome. Its a light bike and is okay on the highway. I can run 65-70 on the highway to get to some dirt. It has handled very well on some very very rough trails. Its small enough I can easily maneuver it over small boulders and does a good job on lose dirt and sand. I guess the biggest question is where are you going to be riding? Do you need a very light weight bike? Is it going to be fire roads or trails? I thought I was doing mainly fire roads but I have been riding over extremely rough terrain and small trails instead. The DRZ650 is a beast from what I hear.
I bought the bike used with 1800miles on it...what a deal! My reason for this bike was that I wanted something light weight, reliable, cheap, and little to no maintenance. Some of your high performance machines require frequent valve adjustments and oil changes. One thing I had to do with my DRZ400s is to change the tires which made a world of difference. Good luck with your purchase and enjoy the trails.

[pistonbroke]

hi
how about the ktm supermoto 950 or 990, could just swap tyres to go on road or off.
i had one for 4 years , it was fantastic and would have another .
piston .

[nielsm]

Ended up getting a 2012 R1200GS Adventure. Love the boxer motor, and I like the extra wind protection for cold weather riding.

[diethornig]

well, that would be smart..